The whale appeared to be a pygmy or dwarf sperm whale, about 700 to 800 pounds and about 7 feet long, authorities said.

Mutilating a federally protected species is illegal, even if the animal is found dead, according to the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, which is investigating the case.

The blue-gray mammal was beached about 100 feet from the surf, along the 200 block of South Ocean Boulevard.

A man fishing for blue crabs along the shoreline early Thursday admitted cutting off the whale's tail.

"The thing was deader than a doornail," said Chris Hogan, 60, of Delray Beach.

He said he was alerted to the whale sometime after 5:30 a.m., when a passer-by showed him a cell phone picture of the animal.

Hogan said he used his fishing knife to cut off the whale's tail, and had planned take it home and eat it.

"I'd probably broil or fry it," said Hogan.

Hogan said he couldn't understand why others on the beach were yelling at him. Police had him pack up his fishing gear and come with them for questioning.

Investigators declined to identify the second man, citing the ongoing investigation.

NOAA spokeswoman Leslie Bales-Sherrod could not be reached for comment despite calls to her cell phone.

Hurricane Earl may be to blame for two whale strandings on Thursday morning — the one in Delray Beach and another one farther north in Martin County, NOAA biologist Erin Fougeres said.

"When there's severe whether, we tend to see an increase in these strandings," Fougeres said.

Scientists euthanized the whale found in Jensen Beach — also a pygmy or dwarf whale — because it was in poor health, Fougeres said. They will conduct a necropsy to determine what happened to it. The Delray Beach whale will be frozen to use as evidence in the mutilation case. Violators of the Marine Mammal Protection Act face fines of up to $10,000 for each offense.

Pygmy and dwarf whales are among the marine mammals most commonly stranded on South Florida beaches, Fougeres said. They live in the deep waters off Florida's coast and usually come onshore when sick or injured, Fougeres said. Most die of heart disease.

It's dangerous and illegal for people to eat these beached mammals, Fougeres said. Most have high levels of contaminants and parasites.

"There's definitely a health concern," she said.

NOAA asks the public to call the Florida Marine Mammal Stranding Network's 24-hour hot line at 888-404-3922 to report marine mammal strandings.

Staff researcher Barbara Hijek contributed to this report. Alexia Campbell can be reached at apcampbell@SunSentinel.com or 561-243-6609.

Get breaking news sent right to your inbox. Sign up for our Daily Newsletter at SunSentinel.com/joinus